ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. march — the month
  6. last — finally
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — hasty
  17. march — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — to go on
  21. rash — a series
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. last — final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com